1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a multimedia communication system and communicating apparatus for transmitting information such as motion image data, still image data, audio data, computer data, etc. and, more particularly, to an accounting for information which is provided.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, various communication networks such as installation of an optical fiber network in a trunk line system communication network, actualization of B-ISDN using such an optical fiber network, spread of a cable system, realization of a practical use of a communication satellite, spread of a local network, etc. have been rapidly spread. Their mutual connection is also actively being performed.
On the other hand, not only character data but also information which is so called a multimedia such as still image, audio signal, motion picture, etc. is being exchanged in a worldwide scale.
In such a situation, an information service industry using the multimedia information network is also rapidly being enlarged. For example, the following information services have been developed and progressed by using the multimedia information network as a prerequisite.
(1) Video-on-demand such that a video library is accessed from a terminal and a desired video can be selected and enjoyed
(2) Game network such that a desired game is selected from a game library and is played together with a person existing at a remote location
(3) Information retrieval services such that various data bases are accessed and necessary information is called
(4) A desired article is retrieved and purchased from hundreds of thousand of items
(5) Viewer participation TV such that the user participates
(6) TV conference such that persons existing at remote locations progress a consultation while sharing references.
To realize a practical use of those services, an accounting technique such that xe2x80x9ca compensation of the services used is certainly handed to a provider of the servicesxe2x80x9d occupies an important position. Particularly, in case of considering a problem regarding a copyright such as an illegal copy of information, a software, or the like, whether the compensation has correctly accounted or not is a vital question for information service industries when the above multimedia information network is used as a prerequisite.
However, in many cases, a conventional accounting method is a monthly accounting method that is not concerned with a use frequency as in a cable television system or a satellite broadcasting or an accounting method whereby only a use frequency (or using time) which is not concerned with the kind or quality of information is counted as in a use services of a computer.
According to the conventional accounting methods which don""t depend on the kind or quality of information and services as mentioned above, it is difficult to cope with a variety of information and services which are presumed such that they will be further widespread in future. It is an important problem to accurately perform an accounting.
When a number of users and a number of information providers exist on the network, the channel on the network is likely to be busy, so that there is a problem such that it is difficult to receive information of the user.
The invention is made in consideration of the above circumstances and it is an object of the invention to provide a multimedia communication system and a communicating apparatus which can certainly receive information received by the user and can accurately perform an accounting.
According to an embodiment of the invention, there are provided: a terminal device for user which is used for the user to receive information; a terminal device for information provider which is used by an information provider to provide the information to the user; a network to which each of the terminal devices is connected; and reserving means for circulating a reservation table to select and reserve the information which is received by the user and a reception time between the terminal device for information provider and the terminal device for user.
According to another embodiment, there are provided: communicating means for user which is used for the user to receive information; communicating means for information provider for providing the information to the user; and reserving means for circulating a reservation table to select and reserve the information which is received by the user and a reception time between the communicating means for information provider and the communicating means for user.
According to still another embodiment, there are provided: receiving means for receiving reservation information from another terminal device on the network; and transmitting means for transmitting predetermined information on the basis of the reservation information.
According to the above embodiment, each user reserves the information to be received and the reception time on the basis of the circulated reservation table, so that the information can be certainly transmitted to the user and an accounting can be performed on the basis of the reservation.
An accounting system can be also changed in accordance with the kind of information to be transmitted and the time.
According to further another embodiment of the invention, there are provided: a terminal device for user which is used for the user to receive information; a terminal device for information provider which is used by the information provider to provide the information to the user; a terminal device for sponsor which is used by the sponsor of the additional information; a network to which each of the terminal devices is connected; and accounting means for accounting an amount of money according to the additional information received by the user to the sponsor.
According to further another embodiment, there are provided: receiving means for receiving information through the network by the user; and selecting means for selecting whether the additional information which is added to the information is received or not.
According to further another embodiment, there is provided a terminal device for information provider which is used in a communication system in which the information provider transmits information through the network in accordance with a request from a receiver, wherein inserting means for inserting additional information into the information in accordance with a request of the receiver is provided.
According to further another embodiment, there is provided a terminal device for information provider which is used by the information provider to provide information in accordance with a request of a receiver, wherein there is provided accounting means such that when additional information other than the information requested by the receiver is received, an amount of money according to the additional information is accounted to the terminal device which transmitted the additional information.
According to the above embodiment, when the user receives the additional information, since the accounting means accounts to the sponsor, a burden of the user is reduced and the additional information is used even for the sponsor, a fair and accurate accounting can be performed for both of the user and the sponsor.
According to further another embodiment of the invention, there are provided: a terminal device for user which is used for the user to receive information; a terminal device for information provider which is used by the information provider to provide the information to the user; a network to which each of the terminal devices is connected; and accounting means for accounting an amount of money according to the number of times of reception of the same information by the user to the user.
According to further another embodiment, there are provided: a terminal device for user which is used for the user to receive information; a terminal device for information provider for transmitting information in which additional information was inserted to a predetermined channel without receiving any request from the user and for transmitting information according to a request of the user to another channel; and a network to which each of the terminal devices is connected.
According to further another embodiment, there are provided: receiving means for receiving information and additional information which is added to the information; and accounting means for accounting an amount of money according to the additional information for the information which was received to the provider of the additional information.
According to further another embodiment, there is provided communicating means for information provider for transmitting the information to which the additional information was inserted to the communicating means for user through a predetermined channel without receiving any request of the user and for transmitting the information according to the request of the user to the communicating means for user through another channel.
According to the above embodiment, since an amount of money according to the number of times of reception of the information is accounted to the user, the accurate accounting can be performed.
Since the information to which the additional information was inserted is always transmitted to the predetermined channel of the network, the user passively receives the information. Since the information is transmitted to the other channel only when the user requests it, the user actively receives the information.
According to further another embodiment of the invention, there are provided: a terminal device for user which is used for the user to receive information; a terminal device for information provider which is used by the information provider to provide the information to the user; a network to which each of the terminal devices is connected; and accounting means for accounting an amount of money according to the information received by the user to the user and for subtracting the accounting amount of money when the number of times of reception of the same information by the same user is equal to or larger than a predetermined number of times.
According to further another embodiment, there are provided: communicating means for information provider for providing information to the user; and accounting means for accounting an amount of money according to the information received by the user and for subtracting an accounting amount of money when the number of times of reception of the same information by the same user is equal to or larger than a predetermined number of times.
According to the above embodiment, the accounting means accounts the amount of money according to the number of times of reception of the information of the user to the user and, when the user receives the same information by a number of times larger than a predetermined number of times of reception, the accounting means subtracts the amount of money and accounts. Thus, the reception of the information of the user can be further promoted.